Tag: writing community

Recently after writing an 80k novel, I needed to take a break. I took a step away from blogging and social media and have only recently begun to catch up on blog posts, etc. Upon doing so, one post by a blogger asking this particular question caught my attention. It made me question my own blog.

When I began blogging many years ago, it was to stretch myself as a writer both in terms of craft and productivity. As an isolated profession, it was also a great way of meeting other writers and bloggers. Initially my blog was to be about my writing journey and what I have learned along the way and it still is. It has also been about what interests me and my genre/s. After doing some blogging and social media courses with author Kristen Lamb (which I highly recommend), one thing she mentions really sticks out: – talk about the stuff you’d talk about to friends – that makes the blog fun!

As a result my blog may be a bit of a mixed bag, which some people may or may not like, but it represents me as a person as well as a writer. After all, these days in the world of the internet, isn’t that what people want to see? Yes, I’m a writer and I talk about writing, but I don’t want to be the all-writing-all-the-time channel. That can get boring pretty quickly and there are plenty of writing blogs out there already from people with far more experience than me.

Author Anne R Allen believes that blogging can jumpstart your writing career even before you publish, where we need to treat it like a magazine. So in answer to the question my blog is about writing, the paranormal, history, film & television, crime/mystery and anything else that may take my fancy. I think having a blog showing a wide range of interests can be less inhibiting than focusing on one particular niche, although at times it can make one easily distracted. 😉

Writing is well known for being a solitary endeavour; one in which a person must be comfortable with being in the presence of their own company for a good length of time. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way, which is one of the reasons why social media is so popular amongst writers.

Before the days of the internet, finding other writers was at times limited and depending where you lived, consisted of writing festivals or conferences. It wasn’t always easy to find like-minded people and keep in touch. Social media has made finding writing communities so much better, so that we can talk to other writers around the country or around the world and not feel so alone.

Over the years I have been a part of a few writing communities, making friends along the way, but there has been quite a few instances of trial and error in order to find the right community. Recently, after reading an article by Joanna Penn, I joined the Romance Writers of Australia. This is something I have contemplated for quite some time and after reading this article, I finally took the plunge. I have heard a great many things about this organisation and as I tend to have romantic elements in my stories, I am hoping to gain some knowledge as well as form new friendships.

The best community I have come across after all these years is that within the blogging community. By having a blog and putting myself out there, I can reach out to others, whether they are writers or readers. Having people comment and commenting on other people’s blogs is a great way to meet and get to know others. This friendship can then be extended to other social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I know there are writers out there that think blogging is a waste of time and that’s their choice, however forming friendships through blogging can’t be overlooked.

Finding the right writing community can take some time and you really need to push yourself out of your comfort zone (yes, I’m still working on it). You will find your fellow writers to be the most friendliest and helpful group of people around, which will make your efforts all the more worthwhile.

And for those of you who I’ve made friends with over the years through this blog and other social media I thank you – you’re the best! 🙂

Are you in a writing community? After some trial and error, which writing community have you found to be the best so far? Have you been lucky enough to meet other writers you have only ‘met’ through social media?